Do you believe animals have a sixth sense towards death?

[ErinDel]

I just read a great book by Doctor David Dosa called, Making Rounds with Oscar. Its about a cat who lived on an end stage dementia unit and would take vigil in each patients room during their final hours until death. The nursing staff knew when a patients time was near because Oscar would slip into the room and lie on the bed with the patient. He wouldnt leave until the body was removed, then he would just go back to his spot at the nurses station until he was needed again. It was a real touching book, i recommend it to anyone.

Has anyone heard of this book or read it? Do you believe in animals having this kind of sense when the time is near? I know sometimes when i might feel sick, my cats lay with me. Does anyone have any stories related to this book? I find it comforting to know that not all people need to pass alone if family members are absent, the presence of a pet can do wonders...

[David13, MSN, RN]

I can most definitely detect a particular odor from a patient who is near death. It is not scientific, but it is very accurate. Some of my coworkers have said they can detect an odor as well, while others are unable to do so.

As for animals, I believe if humans can detect something such as a peculiar odor as death approaches, given their superior senses, I believe they can do likewise.

[Blackcat99]

My cats are psychic and it makes me mad. :mad:I usually feed them early in the morning when I have to work. On my days off, they will usually let me sleep if I am really asleep. Sometimes, I am awake but I pretend to be asleep in the hope of being able to go back to sleep but I can't fool them. They know I'm faking it and they bug me until I get up and feed them. I use to work at a LTC which had a "death bed". I'm not kidding. Whoever was admitted to that particular bed usually died soon afterwards. I remember a wife telling me about her husband who had been admitted to the "death bed." The wife said to do not CPR as he is a "No code." She said she didn't know how much longer he would be alive. I felt like saying "He's not going to be alive much longer that's for sure." A week after being admitted he died just like all the others assigned to the "death bed."

[SmilesHeal101]

Yes, I truly believe animals have a sixth sense toward knowing when death is approaching and our moods. It could be a number of things unknown to man. Sometimes it is best to not always know or understand because that is the beauty behind it. Animals possess amazing qualities that I find moving and am just in pure amazement how they are able to grasp our emotions or know death is near from their own perception.